Alkylaromatic compounds and particularly alkylaromatic hydrocarbons will find a wide variety of uses in the chemical field. For example, toluene which may be obtained by the catalytically reforming of petroleum, by fractional distillation of coal tar light oil, by extraction from coal gas, etc. is used in aviation gasoline, as well as high octane blending stock, as a solvent, in paints and coatings, rubber cement, in medicines, dyes, perfumes or as an intermediate in the preparation of polyurethane resins, explosives, detergents, etc. Likewise, the isomeric xylenes also find a wide variety of uses. For example, o-xylene may be used in vitamin and pharmaceutical syntheses, in dyes, insecticides, in the manufacture of phthalic anhydride; m-xylene may be used as a solvent, as an intermediate for dyes and organic syntheses; p-xylene is used in the synthesis of terephthalic acid which is an intermediate for the production of synthetic resins and fibers such as Dacron, Mylar, etc., while mixtures of the isomeric xylenes may be used in aviation gasoline, protective coatings, as a solvent for alkyl resins, lacquers, enamels, rubber cements, etc. Other alkylaromatic hydrocarbons which are also useful in commercial chemical processes include cumene (isopropylbenzene) which is used as an additive to aviation gasoline or in the production of other chemicals such as phenol, acetone, etc., and ethylbenzene which is used as a solvent and diluent or as an intermediate in the production of styrene.
As hereinbefore set forth, the simple alkylaromatics such as toluene and the xylenes are obtained from petroleum or gas. I have now discovered that alkylaromatic compounds may be synthesized from an aromatic compound or other alkylaromatic compounds by reacting the aromatic compound with a syngas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen utilizing a dual-catalyst or dual-function-catalyst system. This dual-catalyst will be hereinafter further described in greater detail.